General Post Office
Charles II established the General Post Office in 1660. A year after its formation, the first postage date stamp
was used and the office appointed its first overseer: Henry Bishop. It was not until 1793, over 100 years later, that uniformed postmen first took to the street. In 1829, the first-purpose-built mail facility
was put into operation at St. Martin's Le Grand EC2.
Sir
Rowland Hill's invention of the adhesive postage stamp in
1837 was a key moment for the GPO, as it aided in the creation of the Penny Black Stamp
three years later. This stamp enabled sending posts anywhere in the world, such as
the one seen from an Ordinance by
Musgrave who notes that all documents of title
shall be transmitted by the Magistrate, through the GPO.
The Penny Black Stamp also led to the introduction of the Post Office pillar box
in
1852.
In 1868, the military became linked to the GPO through the 49th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer
Corps, (known as the “Post Office Rifles”), which consisted of GPO employees. This corps played a large role during the First World War. At the outbreak of war
in 1914, the GPO employed 250,000 people, a quarter of which were enlisted in the army. There
were also 35,000 women who were employed in “temporary positions” throughout WWI. The GPO played a pivotal role
in maintaining communications throughout the war.
The GPO's postal distribution efficiency increased in 1974 with the creation of postal codes. Today the GPO is known at the Post Office Ltd.
- 1. A short history of the Post Office, The History Press.
- 2. Ibid.
- 3. Ibid.; A. Musgrave, The Land Registry Ordinance, (Government Printing Office: Victoria, BC, 1870), p.5.
- 4. A short history of the Post Office.
- 5. Ibid.
- 6. Ibid.
Mentions of this organization in the documents
- Hill, Frederic to Elliot, Thomas Frederick 17 November 1864, CO 60:20, no. 10616,
127.
- Seymour, Governor Frederick to Grenville, Richard 7 August 1868, CO 60:33, no. 8532,
232.
- Grenville, Richard to Seymour, Governor Frederick 11 August 1868, NAC RG7:G8C/15,
303.
- Grenville, Richard to Seymour, Governor Frederick 15 August 1868, NAC RG7:G8C/15,
305.
- Gendarme, F. J. to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 25 September 1868, CO 60:34, no.
10568, 291.
- Grenville, Richard to Seymour, Governor Frederick 3 October 1868, NAC RG7:G8C/15,
445.
- Tilley, John to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 11 November 1868, CO 60:34, no. 12448,
314.
- Seymour, Governor Frederick to Grenville, Richard 21 December 1868, CO 60:33, no.
1275, 688.
- Seymour, Governor Frederick to Leveson-Gower, Granville George 30 January 1869, CO
60:35, no. 3404, 40.
- Tilley, John to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 11 February 1869, CO 60:37, no. 1559,
265.
- Leveson-Gower, Granville George to Seymour, Governor Frederick 15 February 1869, NAC
RG7:G8C/16, 52.
- Tilley, John to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 19 February 1869, CO 60:37, no. 1998,
269.
- Leveson-Gower, Granville George to Seymour, Governor Frederick 26 February 1869, NAC
RG7:G8C/16, 63.
Privy Council
The Privy Council is, historically, the British sovereign's private council and dates
back to the earliest days of the monarchy,
when the council consisted of people appointed directly by the King or Queen to advise on matters of the state.
The council descended from the “Curia Regis” which comprised the king's tenants in chief, household officials, and other advisers,
who formed all the functions of the government. In the early to mid-seventeenth century
the council system was swept away
but not formally abolished; Charles II reinstated/revived the system not long after.
In 1701, the “Act of Settlement” attempted to return the Privy Council to its former power,
by attempting to instate regulations whereby all resolutions shall be signed by the Privy Council;
however this attempt proved to be futile.
After the accession of George I in 1714, the council became a purely formal body, meeting to transact formal business.
It did, however, keep some of its power by continuing to aid the monarch and the
Governor General by providing advice. It also functioned from 1839 to 1949 as the highest court of appeal for Canada.
Mentions of this organization in the documents
- Sandford, Francis Richard John
- Lugard, Sir Edward
- Hamilton, George Alexander
- Labouchere, Henry
- Not in CO 305 files; index lists letter, 29 June 1849
- Not in CO 305 files; index lists letter, 29 June 1849
- Reeve, Henry to Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford Chichester 9 March 1861, CO 60:12,
no. 2141, 35.
- Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton to Elliot, Thomas Frederick 14 March 1861, CO 305:18,
no. 2297, 120.
- Colvile, Andrew Wedderburn to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes
18 December 1861, CO 305:18, no. 11302, 283.
- Privy Council to Forster, William Edward 12 December 1865, CO 305:27, no. 12108, 63.
- Privy Council to Colonial Office 21 September 1866, CO 305:30, no. 9073, 52.
- Seymour, Governor Frederick to Grenville, Richard 1 October 1868, PABC.
- Privy Council to Colonial Office 9 August 1869, CO 60:37, no. 8978, 131.
- not on microfilm
- not on microfilm
- not on microfilm